ad gone.
Lorenzino was gone too, at least he did not make his usual early morning
call. All the houses of their mistresses and other boon-companions were
searched in vain, but apparently no one dreamt of calling at
Lorenzino's, across the way. Probably, it was thought, the two had gone
off to Cafogginolo--their favourite haunt.

Madonna Maria, Messer Jacopo de' Salviati's daughter, the widow of
Giovanni de' Medici, "delle Bande Nere," who resided near Lorenzino,
certainly heard loud cries which terrified her, but it was not an
unusual occurrence. Lorenzino had, in his villainous scheme, devised a
cunning decoy to accustom neighbours and passers-by to noisy behaviour.
He had repeatedly gathered in his house groups of young men with swords,
whom he instructed to cross their weapons as in serious self-defence,
and to cry out "Murder!" "Help!" and such like.

The first intimation of the tragedy was furnished by Lorenzino's porter,
who kept his keys--that of the bedchamber was missing and the door was
locked! The man sought an interview with Cardinal Cibo, then in
Florence, and his former master, and told him his fears. The door was,
by his order, forced and then, of course, the terrible truth was made
clear.

Under the pain of losing their heads, the Cardinal commanded absolute
secrecy on the part of the domestics and guards who had looked upon that
gruesome corpse. At the same time he ordered the game of "Saracino" to
be played in the _Piazza_ close by, to remove the fears of a fast
gathering crowd of citizens. When asked if he knew where the Duke was,
he replied quite casually: "Oh, don't worry about the Duke, he's in bed
of course, sleeping off the effects of last night's conviviality. He'll
appear when he thinks fit. Go away and mind your own affairs."

Somehow or another at last the news leaked out that Alessandro was dead,
and that Lorenzino had killed him. Cardinal Cibo convened the Council of
Forty-eight to discuss the situation. To him full powers were accorded
to administer the government for three days, until a settlement was
reached. This decision was most unpopular with the citizens, who began
to rise in opposition.

Just when another bloody revolution seemed imminent, Cosimo de' Medici,
the young son of Giovanni "delle Bande Nere," rode into the city,
accompanied by a few of his friends. Everywhere he was hailed with
enthusiastic cries--"_Evviva il Giovanni e il Cosimo_."

The young Duchess Margaret fle